Ex-CJTF coordinator blames France for insecurity in Borno

Former Coordinator of the Civilian Joint Task Force CJTF, in Borno State, Mr Abba Kalli, has blamed France for the worsening insecurity in Borno State and its environs

According to him, France is behind the insecurity of the area especially Borno because of the oil and gas in Lake Chad and the large deposit of Uranium in Borno”.

This is as he said there are over 40, 000 Boko Haram insurgency-induced orphans in the state, warning that unless the federal government assists the state to address the challenge, it is another time bomb waiting to explode.

Speaking at a briefing in Abuja titled, “Counter Terrorism and Maritime Safety Under Buhari Administration: Encomium for the Nigerian Navy”, organized by Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism, Insurgency and Terrorism, BRAVEIT, Mr. Kalli said, “As I speak, today, we have over 40,000 orphans in Borno. Children with no fathers no mothers and nobody is catering for them. This is another time bomb waiting to happen if the challenge is not addressed”.

Declaring that the insurgency in the northeast is not about religion or indoctrination alone, Mr. Kalli accused “France of behind the insecurity in the area especially Borno because of the oil and gas in Lake Chad and large deposit of Uranium in Borno.”

He claimed that from what the French planned alongside its collaborators and the resources, made available to the Boko Haram terrorists group, the Nigerian Military did a wonderful job by degrading the terrorists and bringing life and commerce back to Borno.

Kalli said “I can tell you that Nigeria has won this war with the support of the armed forces. In the history of insurgency war, Nigeria is the only country where IDP camps are closed and people successfully returned to their ancestral homes. The Nigerian Navy has taken over Lake Chad and is supported by Multinational Joint Task Force, the economy is back and is now booming. This is what they did not want.”

In his remarks, the Director of Operations, BRAVEIT Lawrence Bilal Audu said, “As the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari winds down in a few months’ time, we wish to note without any fear of contradiction that, Nigeria under his dynamic leadership has made landmark achievements in various strata of the polity particularly in the area of security despite some daunting challenges which may be described as deliberately inflicted.

“In the Northeast Theatre of Operations, there has been a sustained push by our gallant troops following the introduction of home-made solutions to tackling insurgency in addition to the acquisition of platforms and equipment to prosecute the war as well as training exercises for troops who are now fully acquainted with this nature of asymmetric warfare.

“Today, no fewer than 83,000 terrorists have surrendered to troops in various locations following a sustained push by the military to root out remnants still hibernating in some locations of the northeast.”

“In the Northwest region of the country where bandits held sway for some time, displacing villages, killing innocent civilians where kidnapping for ransom, we see a drift in the situation for the better as the military through their onslaught have taken down so many bandits leaders and their collaborators the once troubled region row has its sanity restored.”

While commending the Nigerian Navy under Vice Admiral Zubairu Awwal Gambo, said among others, said, “A recent visit to Baga road fish market in Maiduguri witnessed heightened activity as the business has resumed fully with traders from all across the country converging for the purpose of trading.

“This has been made possible by the presence of the Navy’s elite Special Operations Forces (SOFs) and the Nigerian Navy’s elite Special Boat Service – which is unmatched among SOFS in Africa, at the Lake Chad basin who have completely rooted out terrorists operating in the region.

“Baga in Borno State is now safe now and people are fishing. This is the same with the issue of pirates along Nigeria’s coastal waters where the Nigerian Navy has continued to frustrate the efforts of economic saboteurs. We now see pirates both local and international being arraigned in courts.